Your Faculty Mentor

You and your Ph.D. mentor share the responsibility for establishing a relationship
that contributes to the successful pursuit of your graduate degree. Your mentoring
relationship should reflect mutual respect, fairness, collegiality, honesty and
open communication. The following guidelines outline the ideal responsibilities
of each party in the mentoring relationship. Of course, both you and your mentor
must expect a degree of real-world accommodation to these specifications.

The Ideal Mentor:

Reads and returns work promptly, with constructive comments.

Develops with the student a list of short- and long-term research and professional
goals.

Clarifies expectations and policies.

Communicates regularly about research progress,scheduling changes, and workshops
or seminars that will aid in the student’s professional development.

Provides students with opportunities to develop and practice professional skills
required for research, teaching and service.

Helps students develop an innovative dissertation topic.

Helps students develop a marketable job dossier.

Supports the variety of professional interests a student may have in research, industry,
teaching and service.

Facilitates networking.

Knows course and milestone requirements.

Treats students respectfully as future colleagues.

Encourages students, and provides emotional and moral support.

Acknowledges that students have responsibilities outside the academy.

The Ideal Student:

Chooses his or her mentor thoughtfully and wisely by becoming familiar with the
professor’s research and professional interests.

Has developed short- and long-term professional and research goals, and shares these
goals with his or her mentor.

Is aware of his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

Submits work promptly and comes to meetings prepared with specific goals, questions
and tasks to be accomplished in that meeting.

Communicates regularly with faculty about his or her progress, changes in focus,
and professional needs.

Asks for clarification of the mentor’s expectations and policies.

Respects the mentor’s time and reputation.

Asks the mentor for information and advice about workshops that will enhance professional
development.

Knows the requirements for the degree program, and asks the mentor for help in successfully
completing those requirements.